Many vehicles, such as light trucks, and particularly pick-up trucks, currently sold in the marketplace often have a rear window assembly with a sliding window panel. Typically, these rear slider window assemblies include a frame structure that provides support for multiple fixed window panels and at least one movable window panel. Each window panel includes a substantially transparent region and an opaque border region commonly referred to as a sash. The movable window panel is held in position in the frame structure using multiple fixed pins and spring pins. The spring pins are normally located in the opaque sash of the movable window panel either on top of or below the transparent region of the window panel. These spring pins interact with a hole created in the frame structure associated with the rear window assembly. Usually, the pins move to engage the holes when the movable window panel is in its fully opened or closed positions. An elastomeric seal member is usually attached to either the movable window panel or the fixed window panel to provide a weatherable seal.
When the rear window assembly is in its closed position, this seal member forms a weatherable seal separating the interior of the vehicle from the external environment. Unfortunately, conventional rear window slider assemblies may encounter the occurrence of a “wobble” condition. This “wobble” condition occurs due to the clearance that is necessary between the outer diameter of the spring pin located in the sash of the movable window panel and the inner diameter of the hole created in the frame structure for the rear window assembly in order to maintain the window assembly in a closed position. The occurrence of this “wobble” condition reduces the effectiveness of the weatherable seal created when the window is closed. Furthermore, when the movable window panel is in a closed position, the seal member may not be adequately compressed to provide an effective weatherable seal. Insufficient compression of the seal member may also lead to undesirable “buzz, squeak, and rattle” (“BSR”) conditions.
There is a desire in the industry to reduce the occurrence of any “wobble” and to enhance the sealing between the fixed and movable window panels.